Statue of Charles I Unearths Secrets

An old statue of King Charles I has revealed some secrets after being dismantled for restoration. As the work was carried out, clumps of mud fell from the statue which confirmed that it was buried for safekeeping during the Civil War of 1642-1651.

Having stood in Winchester Cathedral for the majority of the past 376, the cathedral was seized by Parliamentarian forces, with the statue’s sword and the cross on top of the orb and sceptre being hacked off in the process. As well as the mud, two musket holes were also found, implying that the statue had been used for target practice.

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